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Jalapeno Corn Fritters + Avocado Cream

I know what you’re thinking, They’re fried. They’re terrible for you. They’re…delicious? I wholeheartedly agree with only part of that statement. I’ll let you guess which part Okay, so I know the last thing the world needs is a fried fritter but, seriously, these are insanely delicious and it would just be wrong for me to not share them with you.

The fritters are actually pretty light with the fresh corn kernels, the burst of lime and cilantro and the fresh bell pepper and spicy jalapeno, all in a light batter. The avocado cream, there are simply no words for. Hand to God, the avocado cream is the best sour cream dip I’ve ever tasted in my life and it all came together because I was desperate to use the last avocado in my pantry. The cream is cool and mildly flavoured and perfectly cuts the heat of the fritter. These are serious fritters worthy of the fritter hall of fame if there ever was one.

The cumin and paprika give the batter a lovely flavour profile.

There is no substitute for lime in this recipe (hide your lemons for this one) as lime is needed to brighten the batter and perfectly suits our ‘Mexican-flavoured’ fritters.

The consistency is similar to that of a pancake batter. It will be a bit lumpy, which is okay, but, just be sure to work out the large lumps.

I’ve used a medium cheddar cheese here but you are welcome to use a sharp cheddar or even a cheddar that’s been studded with jalapeno bits…even better!

So you’ll want to run the knife vertically down the side of the cob to remove the corn kernels. I wouldn’t suggest substituting the fresh kernels for frozen ones as the flavour in fresh kernels is completely different and will add more body to the batter than frozen corn. Be sure to carefully remove the corn silk (the long filamentous strings that you find on corn cobs) or the corn silk will come into your mouth every time you bite into a fritter which is unpleasant.

You can choose to de-seed the jalapeno if you don’t want these too spicy or you can keep the seeds in (like I do) to add some bite to the fritters. Keep in mind that you have that lovely avocado cream to cut the heat of the fritters so feel free to add a bit of extra heat to these.

Isn’t that just gorgeous? It’s a fiesta in a bowl!

Fold in all the ingredients gently. The batter will be thick and studded with all the little bits of corn, pepper, scallion and cheese.

Fry the fritters on medium heat and keep a close eye on them. The last thing you want is for the insides to remain gummy while the outsides have quickly crisped up. And BE CAREFUL! While these are frying up, the water in the corn kernels will hit that hot oil and they will start to pop! You must wear an oven mitt while frying these and stand back. You will only get about 1-3 kernels that pop but don’t underestimate the power of a hot oil splatter.

If you prefer your cream to be more avocado than sour cream, feel free to reduce the sour cream quantity to 1/2 cup (rather than 3/4 cup).

1 1/2 cups canola or vegetable oil, for fryingPrepare the Fritters:In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, sugar, and ground coriander and mix well. In a small bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, lime zest and lime juice. Using a large whisk, add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine to make a thick batter. It is fine if there are tiny clumps, but try to work the big lumps out with the whisk. Remove the corn kernels from the cob by running your knife vertically down and along the side of the cob until the entire cob is free of kernels. Remove the corn silk from the cobs to ensure that they don’t get mixed into the batter. Dice the red bell pepper and scallions/green onions finely. Finely chop the cilantro and the jalapeno. Shred the cheddar cheese. Fold the corn, red bell pepper, cilantro, scallions, cheddar cheese and jalapeno into the batter. Do not over mix. Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes while you warm the oil.

In a large heavy-bottom skillet with high sides, add the oil and warm over medium-high heat. When the oil is warmed, reduce the heat to medium. Drop the batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into the hot oil making sure the heat is not too high (you want the inside and outside to cook evenly). Cook for about 3 minutes on each side until crispy and golden brown. [Note: Make sure that you are wearing oven mitts as you fry these and that you stand back from the stove as these are frying – the corn kernels will pop and very hot oil will splatter!] Fry them in batches, moving the cooked fritters to a sheet pan lined with paper towel to drain the excess oil. Don’t worry if the insides are a touch doughy after they are fried. They will set up in a matter of minutes. If the insides are too doughy, that means your heat is too high and the outside of the fritters are browning before the insides have a chance to cook.

Prepare the Avocado Cream: Remove the seed from the avocado and scoop out the avocado ‘flesh’ into a small bowl. Mash the avocado well with a fork. Add the sour cream. cilantro, fresh lime juice, and salt. Finely mince the jalapeno and the garlic clove and add it to the mixture. Using the same fork, mix and mash together the ingredients very well until the avocado is distributed evenly and the mixture is smooth. Garnish with cilantro. Serve the fritters warm and the cream cold.

The fritters were a big success, even with the guest who claimed to hate corn!
I had to make some without the cheese which were really good, but with it they were really delicious, a tangy, spicy, complex flavour. I loved them.

The fritters look absolutely delicious and I wanted to try them out this long weekend :), but I just had a few questions for you. I am no expert, but as far as I am aware cumin powder and corriander powder are two seperate ingredients, so which one of them should be used when making the fritters? Also, when you say “1 tablespoon cilantro, packed”, do you simply mean one tablespoon heapful of fresh cilantro? Thanks

Sarah, thanks for your feedback! You are completely correct about the difference between coriander powder and cumin powder. When I tested the recipe I was unsure of which to use (so I tested both) and decided on the cumin powder but the coriander powder could be substituted as well (if you didn’t have cumin) as the flavour of that spice tasted good in the recipe as well. What I meant to write is “OR coriander powder”. I’ve made the change – thanks for pointing that out; I appreciate it!

A packed tablespoon or cup means that the leaves should be put in the vessel and pressed gently to pack them in. I have a photo example here in this recipe which you can view: http://crumbsandtales.com/mint-and-coriander-chutney/ – Essentially, because the herbs tend to have a mind of their own and cannot be put into a measuring vessel without popping back up, it is essential to press the leaves into the cup or tablespoon to really pack them in to be measured.

I hope that answers your questions – and I hope you enjoy trying out the recipe!